A New Path
by The Romulan Republic
Summary: A sequence of seemingly chance events transports Darth Vader's Death Squadron to the Delta Quadrant, and into the path of a Federation starship, transforming two galaxies forever.
1. Chapter 1

Introduction:

This story was originally published (and remains in progress), under the same title and user name, on the Star Destroyer . net forums. I have edited my original introduction for greater clarity, and have made some slight alterations to the story to account for the different format of and to correct any obvious errors, but have otherwise endeavored to preserve it in its original form.

Obviously I am following the footsteps of a lot of other writers, but hopefully I'll be able to bring something new to the basic premise.

Note: I am not terribly familiar with the current state of the Star Wars EU. I apologize for any continuity errors.

The obvious disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, Star Trek, or anything originating therein. This story is not for profit. No infringement is intended.

Also, credit for the story concept/premise that this story is based on goes to FaxModem1 on the Star Destroyer . net forums. I am adapting it with his kind permission.

 _ **A New Path**_

 **Bridge,** ** _SSD Executor_** **, Death Squadron, Outer Rim.**

Lt. Jared Antilles surreptitiously stretched his stiff neck and blinked tiredly at the view screen in front of him. It had been eight hours since his shift began, and he was almost due to be relieved, but it wouldn't do to let the captain notice his unease. At least Lord Vader wasn't on the bridge- he tried to suppress that thought. It seemed impossible, like something out of the old stories of the Jedi, but it almost seemed at times like the black armoured figure that towered over the bridge, its breath wheezing like the wind howling op from one of the bottomless ventilation shafts in the heart of the ship, could sense what you were thinking.

He turned back to the view screen, noticing that the alert light had begun blinking. He checked it, frowning in puzzlement. Probe I-39-7A14, location Outer Rim, Anoat Sector, had lost contact with the fleet. He checked the coordinates. The probe was at least 30 light years short of its intended destination.

Jared took a deep breath.

 _Its not my fault_ , he told himself. _I'm just reporting it, just like I'm supposed to._ It was cold comfort, considering Lord Vader's legendary reputation for dealing with those who disappointed him.

"Is there a problem, Lt.?"

Jared snapped quickly to attention, looking up from the crew pit to where Captain Piet stood on the walkway overhead, looking down at him with a faintly sneering expression.

"No sir. That is... we've lost contact with one of the probe-"

He was interrupted as the doors of the bridge whooshed open, and the sound of heavy footfalls and heavy, rasping breathing filled the bridge. Captain Piet turned sharply, standing at attention.

"Lord Vader."

 **"What seems to be the problem, Captain?"** The deep, cold voice echoed throughout the bridge, sending chills up Jared's spine. The features of the Dark Lord's black metal helmet looked directly at him, seeming to stare through him.

"We've lost contact with one of our probe droids", Captain Piet replied, shifting his gaze from Vader to Jared, in a gesture for the Lt. to elaborate. He spoke quickly, the explanation rushing out as though his life depended on it- which, he knew, it very well might.

"We've lost contact with our probe in the Anoat Sector, sir. Preliminary analysis indicates that the transmission was interrupted at the source."

"Destroyed?"

He hesitated, but only for a moment.

"Uncertain, sir. We'll have to review the sensor logs-" His mouth snapped shut as Lord Vader cut him off.

 **"No, Captain. This is something different. Unexpected. I sense something..."** Vader starred off into space for a moment, then turned sharply to the Captain.

 **"Inform Admiral Ozzel that the fleet is to move to the probe's last known coordinates. Maximum speed."**

The Captain blinked, then quickly nodded.

"Yes, Lord Vader."

But Lord Vader had already turned and swept from the bridge.

Jared Antilles stood beside his console, the tension slowly leaving him as Vader left the bridge. He barely noticed when his replacement arrived a moment later to relieve him. Finally snapping back to attention, he nodded to the officer (a younger Lt. he did not recognize), then exited the bridge, wanting nothing more than to go to his quarters, seal the door, and try to forget about the last half hour.

 **Imperial Throne Room, Imperial Palace, Coruscant.**

The chamber was dark and slient, the shadows filled with an intangible menace.

A pair of Red-armoured Imperial Guards flanked the single entrance, Force Pikes held ready at their sides, faces concealed beneath smooth red masks.

In a chair, on a dais, overlooking the room, sat a small, wizened figure in a simple black robe, head bowed and hands clasped in silent meditation.

The darkness whispered to him, carrying secrets and portents from across the known universe. He followed one whisper, louder than the others, across the depths of space, to a distant, lifeless system on the edge of the Outer Rim.

Something flashed in the darkness, like a bolt of lightning piercing through the Force. He sat upright, hands clutching the arm rests of his throne, his teeth barred in a snarl. Then he turned to the Guards.

"Leave me."

They turned wordlessly and filed out of the chamber. A push of a button on the right arm of his chair sealed the door behind them. Only the Emperor's personal code could open it again. Another button activated the secure holo-emitter positioned in front of him.

" _SSD Executor_ \- I have a priority signal for Lord Vader."

 **Personal Quarters Of Lord Vader,** ** _SSD Executor._**

Lord Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, the second most powerful man in the galaxy, strode through the doors of his private chambers and knelt, activating the holo-projector with a slight direction of will through the Force. The flickering blue visage of his Master filled the pace before him, looming above him. Once more, he felt deep resentment at having to bow before this man, combined with a grudging respect for his power, and a flicker of buried fear that only fuelled his resentment. The Emperor seemed to smile slightly, and he knew that his Master had sensed his hidden thoughts as feelings as easily as ever.

 **"What is thy bidding, my Master?"**

"I have felt a great disturbance in the Force."

 **"As have I."**

"Something is happening in the Anoat Sector. You are to investigate this disturbance. All other priorities are suspended."

For a moment, he almost wondered if he had misheard his Master's words. He had sensed it moving through the Force, like ripples that grew into great waves as they spread out through the galaxy, and he had known that it was the cause of this sudden message from his Master, but he had not expected this.

 **"The Rebels",** he ventured.

Are of no immediate concern."

He swallowed his anger and frustration as the work of months was swept aside. The war would be left to lesser men: the war, the Rebels... his _son_...

He buried that thought deeply, and inclined his head in a low bow.

 **"As you wish, my Master."**

 **Bridge,** ** _SSD Executor_** **, Death Squadron, En Route To The Anoat Sector.**

Admiral Ozzel watched the blue vortex of hyperspace swirling outside the bridge windows, secure in the centre of his power over the crew of the _Executor_. To his left, Captain Piet stood observing the crew pit. A competent, dutiful officer, but rather stiff and unimaginative, he thought. The bridge crew quietly monitored their stations as the fleet moved towards its destination. Ozzel wondered what could possibly have caused the Emperor himself to order them to break off their pursuit of the Rebels and move the most powerful fleet in the Empire to the Anoat Sector to investigate a single missing probe droid, and how Vader had seemed to divine the Emperor's intent before the message had even arrived. He dismissed the thoughts. It wasn't wise to wonder too much about the affairs of the Emperor and his inner circle.

He turned, swallowing his unease as the doors to the bridge slid open and Lord Vader himself strode onto the walkway, stopping before the Admiral.

 **"How long until we reach the coordinates of the probe, Admiral?"**

"Approximately two minutes", he replied.

 **"Bring the fleet to a Level Two Alert."**

"Yes sir", he replied, concealing his surprise as well as he could. Level Two Alert meant to expect hostile forces in the area, and required him to raise shields and put the crews at battle stations. It was only one step short of a full battle alert. He turned to Captain Piet.

"Captain, place the fleet on Level Two Alert immediately."

Piet blinked, then nodded.

"Yes sir." He strode over to the communications station on the other side of the bridge and relayed the order. A warning sound buzzed over the com., notifying the crew to move to battle stations. Piet strode back to stand in front of the Admiral and Lord Vader.

"We're about to exit hyperspace, My Lord", he said crisply, and a moment later, the tunnel of hyperspace gave way to streaks of white light and then the black of normal space. The five escorting Star Destroyers appeared in a V formation around them moments later.

"Report", Piet snapped to the officer at tactical sensors.

"We've arrived in the Parin system, Sir. Main sequence star, three hundred million kilometers distance. Standard density of gasses and debris. No planets or other natural bodies of significant size. No other vessels within scanner range, but I'm detecting some anomalous energy readings approximately 800 kilometers off the port bow."

"What sort of-" Captain Piet began, but Lord Vader interrupted him.

 **"All ships, full stop!"**

"Full stop!", Piet shouted, but a moment later, the space in front of them erupted in blue and gold fire, a swirling tunnel of light in space. Alarms blared and the _Executor_ shuddered slightly as it flew into the mouth of the vortex, along with the five escorting destroyers of Death Squadron.


	2. Chapter 2

**Bridge,** ** _SSD Executor_** **, Death Squadron, Unidentified Spatial Disruption.**

Quiet tension pervaded the bridge of the Executor as it hurtled along a tunnel of blue and gold energy.

Ensign Biel kept her eyes on the screen in front of her, uncomfortably aware that the captain was standing directly overhead, while her mind kept running in increasingly panicked circles. This wasn't _possible._ Most officers on the bridge of an Imperial warship were glorified technicians or soldiers who had only a minimal understanding of the scientific theory underpinning the technology that they were using, but she had studied subspace theory at one of the best institutions in the Core, and it gave her both a better understanding of the physics underlying this impossible situation, and, she felt, a deeper appreciation for how utterly unprecedented it was. The energy readings for... whatever they were caught in were off the scales, and she was getting contradictory velocities on the standard and subspace scanners...

Captain Firmus Piet stood in the centre of the bridge, watching the menacing tunnel of light, uncomfortably aware of the black-armoured presence of Lord Vader standing just a few meters behind him, his breath the only sound echoing audibly through the bridge. Would Vader hold him responsible for the order that had come seconds too late to prevent... whatever the Hells had happened? He could almost imagine phantom fingers tightening around his throat, a red blade piercing his flesh, and swallowed uncomfortably.

"Report!", he snapped again, striding over to the part of the crew pit where the long-range scanners were located.

"We appear to be suspended within a vortex of unidentified energy", the Lt. in command of the section replied. "Power output appears to be at least an order of magnitude greater than the output of our main reactors, Sir." Firmus blinked. That much energy could rip them apart in an instant. "We appear to be still moving, but I'm getting conflicting readings. Our internal sensors indicate that we have come to a full stop, as do our short-range external scanners, but our long-range subspace scanners indicate that we are moving at approximately... 119.123 billion c. And accelerating."

Firmus starred, a cold feeling creeping through his gut. He wasn't an engineer, but he knew enough to know that they were moving far faster than should have been possible with any hyperdrive. Then he shook his head slightly.

"Ridiculous", he snapped. "Check the scanners again. I'm certain there must be some malfunction."

 **"No, Captain"** , breathed the deep, mechanical voice of Lord Vader behind him. He stiffened, his heart rate increasing. **"We are indeed in motion. The vortex is transporting us with it, carrying us somewhere far away."** He sounded almost... wistful, if such a thing were possible. **"I will be in my private chambers. Inform me immediately of any developments."**

"Yes, My Lord", he quickly replied, his gaze still on that swirling vortex. It was almost... beautiful, in a strange, alien way. He shook his head slightly. Whatever it was, it was dangerous."

"Of course, My Lord", echoed Admiral Ozzel, shooting an irritated look at Firmus as Lord Vader swept off the silent bridge.

 **Lord Vader's Private Quarters,** ** _SSD Executor_** **, Death Squadron, Unidentified Subspace Vortex.**

He floated in the stillness of the hyperbaric chamber, the only place where he could breath for long without the clumsy suit that sustained and confined him. He floated in the currents of the Force, his mind reaching out through the enveloping cloud of the Dark Side, his rage at being denied his chance to end the Rebellion and find his son combining with his frustration at the fleet's current, bizarre predicament to call upon its power.

He could feel the vortex around them, blazing like the Suns, a tunnel boring through space and time. He could feel the presences of the _Executor_ and its escorts, suspended in that maelstrom, perfectly balanced so that only the slightest deviation in course would steer them to destruction. He could sense them being bourn along the currents of the Force toward an unknown destination, feel the controlled anxiety of the crews as they went about their duties. Their fear whispered to him in the darkness, familiar and reassuring.

But no matter how far he stretched out his senses, he could not feel the presence of his Master, that blackest of black holes in the Force. That didn't necessarily mean anything- sensing a single presence, even one as powerful as his Master's, over interstellar distances was an uncertain effort. But trapped in this strange tunnel of light, and combined with the reports of the scanner crews, it left him feeling strangely... unsettled.

Instead, he tried reaching out to sense the presence of his son, the Rebel star fighter pilot named Luke Skywalker. Again, unsurprisingly, he sensed nothing. The boy was still weak, untrained in his potential. _If Obi-wan had not kept him from me-_

He snarled in sudden fury, and the walls of the chamber shuddered against an invisible blow. He took a deep breath, focusing his anger, using it. The Sith did not suppress their fear, their hate, denying their baser impulses, but they did not let those feelings control them. Rage was his weapon, not his master.

The black mask that was his prison descended over his head once more, and the chamber split open as Lord Vader rose and stalked out of his personal quarters. It was time to return to the bridge. He could sense that they were nearing the end of their journey.

 **Bridge,** ** _SSD Executor_** **, Death Squadron, Unidentified Subspace Vortex.**

Firmus turned as the doors to the bridge slid open, and the towering figure of Lord Vader strode back onto the bridge. Instantly he was at full alert, and not simply because of Vader's presence, though that was certainly reason enough. As impossible as it seemed, in his time aboard the _Executor_ , he had observed a sort of... prescience to Lord Vader's actions. He had scoffed at the rumors of the Dark Lord's supernatural power, but lately he had begun to reevaluate those conclusion, however unsettling the thought might be. The tunnel of light outside the bridge windows had not changed, but if the Dark Lord felt that his presence on the bridge was warranted, then something was about to happen.

"Lord Vader."

 **"Where is Admiral Ozzel?"** Firmus thought, uneasily, that he detected a hint of irritation in Vader's tone.

"In his quarters, Lord Vader. I was told to inform him of any developments."

 **"Summon him immediately. I sense that our journey will soon be over."**

"Of course, My Lord", he replied, his suspicions confirmed, and passed the order on to the Ensign manning the ship's intercom. Two or three minutes' uncomfortable silence passed, and then the bridge doors slid open and Admiral Ozzel walked onto the bridge, appearing just slightly disheveled, as though he had been just awoken from sleep, or from enjoying the... services of one of his subordinates, Firmus thought wryly.

"Lord Vader." The Admiral stood at attention.

 **"We will be exiting the vortex shortly."**

Ozzel glanced at Firmus, who returned the gaze levelly. He had no more idea than Ozzel how Vader knew the things he knew, but he was beginning to understand that the Dark Lord's premonitions were usually correct.

His gaze snapped forward as the light in front of them suddenly vanished, and the edges of the tunnel parted, swirling to either side and revealing a star-strewn field of open space. Firmus felt himself relax a little in relief as the _Executor_ returned to normal space, no longer surrounded by a vortex of energy that could rip the vessel apart.

"Scanners, report!" Admiral Ozzel snapped.

"We appear to be in a single-star system, approximately 200 million kilometers from the Sun off the Port bow. The rest of the fleet has arrived with us. All vessels accounted for." A pause. "Sir, there is a large space station approximately fifteen million kilometers ahead, and slightly to Starboard. It is comparable in size to an Imperial Star Destroyer, but I'm detecting extremely high energy readings"-Firmus instantly tensed-"approximately 73% of those of an _Executor_ class Super Star Destroyer's maximum output."

"Weapons", Admiral Ozzel asked.

Another moment's tense silence. Then...

"Unknown, sir. Energy readings are unfamiliar, as is the station's design."

Firmus and the Admiral traded glances. Then the Admiral turned to Lord Vader. Firmus followed suit.

"What are your orders, My Lord?"

Vader was silent for a long moment. Then his head suddenly turned, as if he had heard a sound coming from the back of the bridge, a moment before the Lt. at long-range scanners spoke up, a trace of alarm colouring her words.

"Sir, the Vortex has just closed behind us!"

Firmus frowned.

"Is it still there?" He remembered the moments before it had opened. "Can you detect any anomalous energy readings?"

A pause.

"Negative, sir, besides those being put out by the station. Energy readings and particle density are within normal parameters for interplanetary space." Another pause. "I am detecting some unusual fluctuations on subspace sensors, sir. And we're not picking up the Imperial Holonet."

A moment of silence.

"The Vortex must have damaged the external communications systems-" Admiral Ozzel began.

"Possible", the Lt. acknowledged, "but internal sensors report no indications of structural damage."

"Then check your readings again-" Ozzel snapped, but fell silent as Lord Vader cut him off.

 **"What is our current location, Lt.?"**

The Lt. paled at being addressed by Lord Vader directly but replied promptly, her tone professional. Firmus didn't think much of female officers in general, but Lt. Shira was reasonably competent. She wouldn't have been posted to Lord Vader's command ship if she wasn't.

"Given our velocity, we should be either still in the Pardis System, or far outside the galaxy, Lord Vader. However, given the contradictory readings and the possible influence of the Vortex, it is impossible to say for certain without further analysis."

Firmus waited for the Dark Lord's wrath to fall on the Lt., but Vader simply gazed out into space, as if considering his next action. When he spoke, it was in a calm, measured voice.

 **"Run a full diagnostic on the external scanners and communications systems, and then compare the local star to all galactic star maps in the databases. And continue attempting to contact the Holonet."** He turned to Ozzel. **"Inform me when the analyses are complete."**

"Yes, Lord Vader", Ozzel replied at once.

 **"And maintain a continual surveillance of the station. Maintain Level Two Alert, and inform me if-"**

"Sir", the Lt. interrupted again, then finched, mouth snapping shut as Lord Vader's emotionless gaze fell on her once more. Firmus stiffened, anticipating Vader's retribution.

 **"Yes, Lt."** , the Dark Lord asked, a touch of menace beneath the words.

She swallowed.

"We've detected a power surge from the station, directed towards us. It appears to be constant, but its not strong enough to penetrate the shields. It could be some sort of scan, My Lord."

"Activate jamming frequencies", Firmus snapped, and the officer immediately complied. A moment later, she turned back to the senior officers.

"Sir, the frequency's changed. I think its-"

A beam of multi-coloured light swept swiftly over the bridge, flickering over the stations, the crew pits, the central walkway, the faces of himself and the Admiral, and the black-armoured suit of Lord Vader.

"How are they penetrating our shields", he almost shouted.

"Uncertain, sir."

"Angle forward deflectors, and increase power to shields and jamming", Ozzel said quickly.

"Yes s-"

Before anyone could say anything more, a strange tingling sensation swept over Firmus. In an instant, he saw columns of light enveloping the bridge officers around him, the bridge fading from view. Before he could being to comprehend what he was seeing, he was no longer standing on the bridge of the _Executor_ , but in a high-ceilinged hall with polished white walls and large windows looking out over a sprawling city-scape.


	3. Chapter 3

**Bridge,** ** _SSD Executor_** **, Unknown System.**

He felt it a moment before it happened, the strange energy reaching out to envelope the bridge crew of the Executor, to envelope _him_ , the bonds that bound his matter together dissolving as he became nothing but energy and thought.

 _Is this what dying feels like?_

Then he was standing in a long, white-walled hall, its high ceiling lit with harsh, bright bulbs. His lightsabre was in his hand, though he did not remember drawing it, its red blade buzzing hungrily. Across the opposite wall stretched great windows revealing a view of an Imperial city, perhaps the capital if the perpetual cloud of Imperial industry had parted, the light shining on the gleaming towers of metal and glass.

Coruscant as he remembered it from his youth, before...

He ignored the panicked reactions of the officers around him, Ozzel's furious stuttering and Captain Piet barking questions and commands, trying to restore some order to the chaos. He reached out with his senses, felt the shape of the hall, the frightened presences of the men and women around him, the thrum of power from the great machines concealed behind illusory walls and windows... but no city. No open air, no light of the Sun, no billions of lives and consciousness melded together into a vast, ever-shifting sea. No life beyond these walls, except for the great intelligence that he felt behind them, orchestrating the illusion.

Fury swelled within him, fury at the creature who had brought them here against their will, who dared to try to blind and deceive _him_. Red rage clouded his thoughts, fuelling the Dark Side, and he raised his right hand, palm extended, reaching out with the Force to trace the patterns of energy back to their source, then clenched his fist and with a snarl, tore out a massive chunk of the wall. He held it suspended in air for a moment, then dropped it, sending it skidding and sliding with a crash of shattering metal and white-hot sparks across the floor. Where the section of wall had been their was now a jagged, gaping hole in the wall, perhaps five feet across and ten feet high. Around it, the illusory white walls and windows flickered, in and out of focus. Behind it lay a hallway, dimly lit with deep blue light.

Firmus starred at the strange room that they had suddenly appeared in. Or perhaps, he thought dazedly, _strange_ was really the wrong word, because under other circumstances, this might have been a hall in the Imperial Palace or an embassy on Coruscant. What was strange, in fact, was that it was so _ordinary_.

He spun as he heard a low, harsh hum of energy, and saw Lord Vader standing towards the centre of the chamber, a long red energy blade emerging from a cylinder in his right hand.

 _So that must be a light sabre_. He'd heard stories about them, of course, everyone had, but he'd never seen one in use. Realizing that he was standing around starring like an idiot in Lord Vader's presence, he whirled to find Admiral Ozzel gaping around them.

"Orders, sir?"

"I... where are we, captain?"

 _The hell if I know_ , Firmus thought irately. At a loss, he did as he had always done, as he had been taught to do, and fell back on protocol. Insofar as there _was_ a protocol for this situation. He turned to the nearest officer, a young woman who he thought was at Scanners under Lt. Shira's watch.

"Attention Ensign!"

She blinked confusedly for a moment, then nodded and stood at attention.

"Sorry sir."

Firmus suppressed a sharp retort. They were all out of their depth here.

"Ensign, inform your superior that I want a full report on our location and how we arrived here in ten minutes." He thought for a moment, trying to figure out what to do next, then turned in a half-circle, seeking out Commander Avin , who'd been on duty at weapons control. He'd have the Commander's men form a perimeter to secure their position: weapons officers weren't exactly storm troopers, but it was better than nothing-

He was interrupted by a screech of tearing metal. He spun, then jumped as a piece of the wall suddenly ripped away as if a charge had been detonated on the opposite side of the wall, though he saw no fire and heard no detonation. The debris slid across the floor, and he followed its movement. His eyes fell on Lord Vader, his hand outstretched, his gaze fixed on the gaping rent that had been torn in the wall. Firmus swallowed.

 **"A hologram."** Lord Vader's cold voice echoed throughout the hall. **"This is an illusion."**

Firmus turned back and took a longer look at the hole that had just been ripped in the wall of the room. Sure enough, the edges of the wall and windows around the hole were flickering insubstantially, though the illusion was far better than the holograms that the Fleet used.

Lord Vader strode to the centre of the room, and Firmus turned his attention back to their Supreme Commander. He was starring at a point in the ceiling overhead, his light saber still blazing in his grip.

 **"Who are you? What is your purpose? Reveal yourself!"**

The doors at the end of the hall slid open with a soft whoosh. Firmus and several of the other officers stiffened as three squads of storm troopers filed into the room, the light gleaming on their white armour, their black blaster rifles levelled at the bridge crew of the _Executor_.

 _What is this_ , he thought. _Some kind of simulation? Some strange game of the Emperor's? But why-_

Another door slid open in the right-hand wall, revealing another stretch of dimly-lit hallway. The lead trooper motioned toward it with his blaster.

"Form up in single-file and proceed into the examination chamber."

"What is the meaning of this", Admiral Ozzel snapped. "Stand down immediately!"

"You will comply", the trooper barked, raising his weapon. Firmus tensed.

 **"I grow weary of these games"** , said Lord Vader. He raised his fist again, and Firmus twitched involuntarily as another explosion rocked the hall, and another, and another, as Lord Vader tore more panels and machinery out of the walls in showers of sparks and fragments of twisted metal. The storm troopers, who Firmus now realized had been holograms as well, flickered and died. So did the remaining walls and windows, floor and ceiling, leaving them standing in a smaller, though still spacious, chamber lit in purple and blue. It was empty, aside from the bridge crew and the dark presence of Lord Vader. His light sabre cast an eerie red glow across the floor of the chamber, and his shadow spread out like the wings of some great bird of prey behind him.

"Reveal yourself!"

Their was silence. Then a voice spoke, old and wry but seemingly human, seeming to come from the air around them.

"Well, aren't you demanding for a minor, bi-pedal species?"

 **"You will pay the price for your imprudence."**

"Most intransigent", the speaker replied, not sounding remotely concerned by the Dark Lord's threat. "I had hoped that a familiar setting would put you at ease, but you seem determined to be objectionable."

With a metallic sound that could only be a snarl, Lord Vader strode towards the hole he had ripped in the far wall, evidently intending to cut a path out of the chamber with his blade. Before he reached it, however, the strange columns of light enveloped them once more.

Firmus blinked, taking in the familiar view of the _Executor_ 's bridge, the shouts of surprise and alarm, and the blasters being suddenly levelled at them by a squad of Imperial storm troopers. A few feet behind them, he could see Commander Dornaj, the _Executor_ 's Chief Engineer, his features surprised and, Firmus thought, a little wary. Understandable. Then he remembered the holographic troopers.

"Illusions", he asked, when he had recovered his senses.

 **"No, captain"** , Lord Vader replied. **"We are once more aboard our ship."**

"Stand down", Commander Dornaj quickly snapped. The troopers lowered their blasters, and Firmus let out a breath as he felt the tension in the room dissipate slightly.

"How long were we absent", Admiral Ozzel asked. "Was anyone else taken?"

Commander Dornaj was regarding him warily.

"Commander!"

"Sir... you've been gone two days."


	4. Chapter 4

**Bridge,** ** _SSD Executor_** **, Unknown System.**

Admiral Kendal Ozzel listened with growing consternation to Commander Dornaj's report.

The minutes since they had arrived had been rather confused. Once that idiot Dornaj had stood his men down, he informed them, to their surprise and incredulity, that they had been gone for two entire days. _Drugged, probably_ , he thought, recalling the holographic storm trooper's mention of an "examination room". He shivered.

"Once we ascertained that the bridge was deserted, and that you were not aboard the vessel, I assumed acting command of the _Executor_ and the fleet", Dornaj was saying. Ozzel barely restrained a snort. The man had probably jumped at the chance. He was probably the first commander in the Empire to command an SSD, or an entire SD squadron. "We attempted to scan the station, but were unable to determine anything beyond its basic structure, composition, and energy output. We hailed the station repeatedly, attempting to ascertain what had occurred, but we received no reply."

"Why did you not fire on the station", Captain Piet asked. _Of course_. Piet was a competent officer, but rather lacking in imagination. _Obviously he would have simply blown the station out of the sky, and the entire bridge crew and Lord Vader with it, instead of trying to take an unfamiliar but clearly advanced technology intact._

Dornaj swallowed nervously.

"One of my Lts. analyzed the internal sensor records, and concluded that you had been disintegrated by some sort of beam which penetrated our shields. I resolved that it would be unwise to risk the _Executor_ in battle until a means of countering this weapon had been devised. Instead, I focused the fleet's efforts on intelligence gathering, and attempting to ascertain how we were transported to this system."

 _Its a logical reply_ , he thought, _even if it smells of cowardice._

Dornaj continued.

"Our probe droids have charted most of the systems within one hundred light years. We have ascertained the presence of three other interstellar powers. We have identified two from intercepted communications as the Talaxians and the Viddeans, and are attempting to identify the third. All of their vessels that we have encountered appear to be no more powerful than a typical corvette-most of them considerably less so."

 **"And what of the vortex"** , Lord Vader broke in.

Dornaj swallowed again. _The man really needs to grow a back bone._

"We have analyzed the scanner readings, My Lord, but have been unable to match it to any known energy source, natural or artificial, in our databanks. Our analyses are continuing. No further indications of the vortex's presence have been detected since your... departure."

"Could this station have transported us here", Kendal asked.

"Unknown, sir", the commander replied uncomfortably. "However, the energy readings of the station's field do not match those of the vortex."

"We could do with a few less unknowns, and a few more facts, commander", Piet said sharply, and in this case, Kendal agreed with his chief subordinate.

Dornaj shifted uncomfortably once again, and Kendal thought his eyes darted to Lord Vader, who was standing impassively beside him.

"My apologies, sir. However, we do have on other possible lead. A few hours after your... departure, we detected a massive energy surge from the station, which rapidly accelerated to over twelve thousand times the speed of light before it passed beyond the range of our scanners. However, it was not directed at us. We calculated its trajectory, but it was not aimed at any nearby system."

"A hyperspace weapon", Kendal asked, intrigued. There were rumours of experimental hyperspace weapons under development in secret Imperial facilities, but nothing official.

"The readings did not match those of known hyperspatial technology", Dornaj replied, earning a glower from his superior officer. "However, shortly after the energy surge, we detected a similar, but weaker surge returning towards the station, on a reciprocal of the previous trajectory. As soon as it passed, a small vessel... materialized between us and the station."

"Materialized", Piet asked sharply.

 **"Where is this vessel now"** , Lord Vader interjected, breaking his silence.

"We hailed them, My Lord. When we received no reply, I had the vessel tractored into our hanger bay. It is currently being examined for any indication as to its origins, and how the station might have brought it here."

 **"Very good, commander"** , Lord Vader intoned. **"Proceed with your examination."** He turned as that Lt. at Scanners approached. She was an attractive woman, Kendal thought, in a rather severe way. Perhaps some time he'd have to see if he could loosen her up. **"Report."**

"My Lord, Ensign Biel did not return with us."

"Are you certain", Piet asked sharply.

"Yes, sir", the Lt. replied, expression blank.

Piet turned to him.

"She is likely still a prisoner aboard the station, sir."

Kendal frowned. He could hardly refuse to respond to an alien entity abducting Imperial officers, but the risks of a rescue mission for the return of a single junior officer would usually have rendered the mission out of the question. But it did provide a justification for securing the station.

"If I might suggest, My Lord", he said, turning to face Vader. The Dark Lord regarded him impassively, and Ozzel shifted nervously, intimidated by that silent, implacable presence, and annoyed at himself for being so easily unnerved. "We have detected no shielding around the station, and its hull should not be able to withstand our weapons. Whatever its offensive capabilities, its defenses appear highly limited. An ion canon barrage could be used to disable it and allow a boarding party to recover the ensign, if she is aboard. It would also provide us with an opportunity to secure this technology for further examination."

 **"The station's full capabilities are still unknown, admiral"** , Lord Vader replied after a moment. **"Proceed, but target the station with heavy turbolasers. If the ion canons prove ineffective, you are to destroy the station immediately."**

He nodded sharply, relieved and a little surprised that his proposal had met with the Dark Lord's approval.

"Yes My Lord." He turned to Piet. "Proceed, captain."

"Battle stations!", Piet barked, and the bridge crew scurried to their posts, as the deep wail of the Battle Alert began to sound throughout the ship. Clasping his hands behind his back in a posture of complete confidence, Ozzel strode to the centre of the bridge and gazed out at the distant station hovering before them in space, allowing himself a small smile of satisfaction despite the tension of an impending battle. A risky decision, but if they were successful, the rewards might be immense.

"Battle stations!" Firmus watched with approval as the _Executor_ 's bridge crew moved with calm professionalism to assume their stations, and the Battle Alarm began to wail in the background. This was his element, on the bridge of the _Executor_ , _his_ bridge, with the full firepower of the greatest warship in the Empire at his command. He was, he knew, not an imaginative man, yet he thought that he could almost feel the power of the vessel, blazing like an artificial sun beneath his feet. Commander Dornaj, having already surrendered command of the _Executor_ , had excused himself, returning to his post in Engineering. Admiral Ozzel had taken up position in the centre of the bridge, and Firmus joined him a moment later, watching as the Command Ship's crew prepared for battle. It was not the decision he would have made- the safest course of action, to his mind, was to simply destroy the station with a surprise assault. However, he recognized the potential benefits, and it was not his place to question the decisions of his superiors. He did hope that they would be able to recover the ensign... ensign Beil? And teach this alien the error of abducting the Empire's officers.

"Turbolasers standing by!", he heard Commander Avin say. Then a moment later: "Ion canons standing by!" He glanced sidelong at Ozzel, who nodded.

"Have the heavy turbolasers maintain target lock and await my command. Forward ion canons, fire on my mark." He paused, savoring the moment. "Fire."

Twin pulses of blueish-white light streaked out across the void as he waited for the result.

"Two hits", the weapons crews confirmed a few seconds later. "Minimal effect."

Firmus tensed, glancing at Admiral Ozzel.

"Increase ion canon barrage", the admiral said. "All batteries."

Firmus grimaced. It was stretching the limits of Lord Vader's orders, but if it went badly, the blame would fall on the admiral, not on him. _Unless we all die, of course_.

"Fire all ion canons, maximum power."

"Sir!" The cry came from Scanners, and Firmus felt his gut tighten in anticipation. "We're detecting a power surge from the station-"

Without waiting for the admiral's approval, he gave the order.

"Turbolasers, fire at will!"

But it was too late. Even as the first of the intensified ion barrage shot out towards the station, and before the turbolasers could add their fury to the onslaught, a wall or _wave_ of white and orange energy rolled out from the station, crossing the distance between them in a matter of moments.

"Brace for impact!" There was no time to do anything else. Firmus found himself thinking of his family back in the Core, his first days at the Academy, his first space command. He wondered if anyone would ever find out what had happened to them.

The wave struck the Executor, washing over her hull, filling the bridge windows with fire. The great ship shuddered slightly, and then-

It was gone. He could see the stars outside, the other ships of Death Squadron arrayed around them, but not station. No sun.

"Report!", he snapped, hoping that he didn't sound as shaken as he felt.

"Sir... our coordinates appear to have changed."

"I can see that, Lt.", he snapped. "Where are we?"

"We're still confirming that sir, but we appear to have been shifted out of the system, at least... 97 light years."


	5. Chapter 5

Apologies for the delay-here's chapter five.

Note: My research indicates that there are various canonical captains for the _Devastator_ (though I'm not sure if they're all still valid in the new canon), but I wasn't sure which one would be in command at this time, so I made one up.

My rule of thumb for Star Wars fics is to stay true to both the fact and spirit of film and TV canon, while using or discarding the EU as it suits my story.

Thanks again to Eternal_Freedom on Star Destroyer . net for help proof-reading and revising the rough draft for this chapter (though I've made some additional tweaks myself).

 **Conference Room, SSD _Executor_ , Death Squadron, Unidentified Binary Star System.**

Firmus sat stiffly in his tall black chair, trying not to fidget as he mentally went over the contents of the data pad in his pocket. He looked up, his posture stiffening as the doors slid open and Admiral Ozzel strode in, followed a moment later by Commanders Aves and Dornaj, who were holding a quiet but animated conversation. They broke off as they realized that the captain's eyes were on them, however, and took their seats on the opposite side of the table. Ozzel paced around the table and sat next to Firmus.

They carefully avoided looking at one another. An atmosphere of palpable tension had pervaded the Executor in the days since they had been transported to this news system, and both of the command ship's senior officers had been treading carefully. Firmus shivered as he remembered the moment after that flash of light, a moment's silence as everyone realized that they were still alive, and then the com. officer's report that the station had transported them nearly a hundred light years in an instant. He had stood their, the only sound the deep rasping of Lord Vader's respirator behind him, before the Dark Lord had turned and swept wordlessly from the _Executor_ 's bridge.

Since that day, Lord Vader had not been seen on the bridge, and as far as Firmus knew, had not left his own quarters. Admiral Ozzel had likewise been unusually circumspect, doing his best to avoid drawing any attention to himself. Firmus had been expecting some rebuke or censure for his preemptory order to fire on the Station, but none had been forthcoming, perhaps because both men suspected that Lord Vader would have approved the order. And so, it had fallen primarily on him to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Empire's most powerful warship, without the oversight of his two immediate superiors.

 _Presuming we ever return to the Empire_ , Firmus thought, and quickly suppressed it. It wasn't wise to even think such things in Lord Vader's presence. In truth, he preferred to operate without constant oversight, though it would not do to think such thoughts too loudly, either. He knew his duty and did it, quietly and well, and it had carried him far in the Emperor's service.

Most of the seats around the conference table had been filled now. Firmus looked up as the door slid open once again and the sound of mechanical breathing filled the room, sitting up straighter in his seat as the black-cloaked form of Lord Vader swept into the room. He tried not to fidget as Lord Vader strode to his place at the table, crossing behind him. Vader, as was his custom, did not sit, but remained standing on Admiral Ozzel's side opposite Firmus. There was a moment of silence. The Admiral broke it.

"Captain Piet, what is the status of the fleet?"

Firmus cleared his throat nervously and began his report.

"The department heads report that all ships and major systems are operating within acceptable parameters. Commander Aves informs me that we suffered significant damage to fragile subsystems on the outer hulls of our ships, particularly the sensor and communication arrays, during transport to this system; as well as structural strain similar to that sustained during a low-velocity collision. However, he assures me that the structural damage posses no significant short-term risk and most of the damage to subsystems is reparable using available spares and maintenance crews." He didn't particularly like foisting responsibility off onto a subordinate, but he wasn't an engineer. He had little choice but to simply cite the Commander's report.

"And our supplies?"

"We have sufficient consumables for several more months of standard operations, and we can nearly double that if need be by rationing food supplies and cutting power to non-essential systems. However, sustained combat operations will drain our resources rapidly if we cannot establish a reliable source of fuel and munitions."

"And have you attempted to locate such a source?", the admiral almost sneered.

"This system is lacking in most raw materials", Firmus replied, containing his irritation at his superior. "I have dispatched probe droids to neighboring systems, and have detected a possible source of Tibanna gas in the system designated B2-106 in the Astrogation report. Commander Aves has informed me that some of our shuttles can be modified to collect the gas, and is currently running simulations on the feasibility of setting up processing facilities in one of the hanger bays."

"Is that really necessary", the Admiral countered. "Surely we will be able to return to Imperial space long before such concerns become pressing."

Firmus gave no visible sign of the anger and tension he was feeling, but it was difficult. The Admiral had set him up to undermine him, albeit in a rather clumsy manner. And Lord Vader was watching.

 **"Do not allow your complacency to blind you, Admiral"** , Lord Vader's voice intoned, the words carrying just a hint of a threat. The Dark Lord turned towards Firmus. **"Have you determined how we were brought to this galaxy?"**

Firmus forced himself not to blink, or look away.

"No, My Lord. We have confirmed that we were transported by an unknown spatial distortion which largely conforms to the expected parameters of the theoretical phenomenon known as a "wormhole". Given our recorded velocity, it is likely that we have been transported across most of the known universe. However, there are some readings that we have as yet been unable to decipher. Most concerning, the readings do not match those of the energy wave that the station used to transport us to this system."

 **"These phenomena are unrelated?"**

Firmus turned to his Chief Engineer.

"Commander Aves?"

"Impossible to confirm without further study of the Station, My Lord", Aves said unhappily. "However, that is the most likely conclusion, based on available data."

 **"Then it is imperative that we gain control of this station"** , Lord Vader intoned.

Commander Aves glanced at Firmus, who replied for the commander.

"I understand that Commander Dornaj has completed his analysis of our last engagement."

The weapons officer took his cue and continued.

"Yes sir." He pulled out a datapad and inserted it into a socket beneath the table, and a few moments later, a large blue holo-display appeared in the center of the table. It displayed the Station, the position of their fleet during the assault, and the pulsing energy wave which had struck them. Data and annotations scrolled along either side of the display.

"As you can see", the commander gestured at the data, "the Station's power output is only a fraction of that of the _Executor_. Based on our analysis, however, the energy weapon it employed operated on a different frequency from our shields, allowing it to bypass them. It then appears to have acted as a sort of hyperspatial tractor beam, propelling our fleet through space at faster-than-light velocities."

"Can't we angle or modify our shields to repel this weapon?", the Admiral asked.

Dornaj glanced at Aves.

"No sir", the engineer replied. "Such modifications might be theoretically possible, but would require access to a space dock facility."

"So what do you propose?"

Commander Dornaj resumed his presentation, after another glance at Aves The engineer frowned, but said nothing. _No doubt this was the subject of their previous disagreement_ , Firmus thought.

"Given the ineffectiveness of our ion cannons, I would recommend a bombardment by our turbolaser batteries. Due to the lack of effective shielding, the Station should be swiftly disabled."

"Do you concur, Commander?", the Admiral asked.

"Commander Dornaj's plan is certainly likely to disable the Station", the engineer replied cautiously. "However, I estimate that it has a 46% chance of causing catastrophic or fatal damage to the Station, leaving us unable to take it intact."

"You propose an alternative?"

"Yes sir. Scans of the station during the engagement indicate that the ion cannons did cause a minor disruption to the Station's systems. Our simulations show that a heavier bombardment will most likely disable it with minimal damage."

Firmus frowned. They had already tried to take the Station intact once, and failed. Trying again with more firepower seemed to be inviting failure, and there was no guarantee that the Station would restrain itself to a non-lethal counter-attack this time. It had not escaped him, and he knew that it had not escaped any of the senior officers, that the Station could have easily transported them into a star or a black hole. However, there was only one person in this room who's decision mattered.

 **"Will one destroyer be sufficient?"**

Aves hesitated.

"Two would increase our chances of disabling the Station before it could return fire, My Lord."

 **"We will require complete surprise"** , Lord Vader declared. He turned to Firmus. The captain noticed Ozzel swallowing his irritation at the slight, and winced inwardly. **"Have the _Devastator_ and the _Avenger_ prepare for battle. Slave the Avenger's helm to the Devastator's controls. We will commence our assault in two hours."**

Two Hours Later.

Lord Vader strode through the doors of the _Devastator_ 's bridge, feeling the spike in tension and anticipation as the crew of his former flagship stood at attention. He let their fear wash over him as he paced to the center of the bridge and turned to Captain Wissel.

"All systems are ready, My Lord. The _Avenger_ is standing by."

"Bring us out of Hyperspace 100 kilometers off the Station."

The captain hesitated.

"My Lord... a precision hyperspace jump within a star system..."

Vader felt a surge of anger, but he controlled it, shaping it, honing it as he called upon the Dark Side of the Force. The maneuver _was_ difficult, for a navi-computer. But not for him.

 **"Leave that to me."**

He strode to the helm station.

 **"You are relieved, Lieutenant."**

 **"Yes My Lord."** The young officer at the helm started, then quickly rose and stepped back. Vader examined the controls for a moment, then reached out with the Force. He could feel the shapes of the Star Destroyers floating in space, the currents of the Force connecting normal space and Hyperspace, the controls and the engines, the _Devastator_ 's computers and the _Avenger_ 's, the fleet and the distant bulk of the alien station. He reached out to the controls with his mind, his will, paying scant attention to the long-range scans, or the computer's calculations. He did not need them. They were merely a distraction.

 **"Prepare for battle stations."**

"Battle stations!", the captain snapped, and an alarm began to blare.

Feeling the power of the Dark Side flowing through him, Lord Vader activated the helm controls. He felt space twist around them, felt them shoot across 90 light years in an instant and emerge back into normal space as he perceived that the Station, and the alien presence within it, were suddenly much closer.

Less than two seconds after the Star Destroyers exited hyperspace, the _Devastator_ 's ion cannons began to fire, followed an instant later by the _Avenger_ 's. A storm of blue-white energy bolts crossed the distance to the Station, washing over its unshielded hull. Arcs of uncontrolled energy crackled and sparked across its surface.

"Scans report the Station has lost main power!", an officer reported, but Lord Vader already knew. He could feel the surprise and alarm emanating from the entity within, and it gave him a sense of cold satisfaction.

 _Now you will learn that a Lord of the Sith is not your play thing._

"Cease fire."

The onslaught ceased.

Lord Vader turned to regard Captain Wissel, cold anger and satisfaction rising in him as he readied himself for what was to come.

 **"Prepare a boarding party.**


	6. Chapter 6

Commander Flynt crouched in the hold of the TIE Shuttle, the roar of the twin engines that made the deck plates vibrate beneath his feet muted by the white armor that coated him from head to toe. Through the eyes of his helmet he could see the rest of the squad, clutching blasters to their chests as they crossed the empty space between the _Devastator_ 's hanger bay and the Station.

 _If some fool had told me a week ago that I'd be on the far side of the blazing universe, following Lord Vader as we breached an alien station powerful enough to toss a dreadnought and escorts between star systems, I'd have thought they were bleeding high on spice_ , he thought to himself. He glanced briefly at Lord Vader without moving his head, wondering if the Dark Lord had read his thoughts. Lord Vader stood silent and implacable, facing toward the front of the shuttle, his head raised slightly, gaze seemingly locked on the approaching station through the walls of the shuttle. He gripped his lightsaber, still unlit, in his hand.

The roar of the engines faded to a dull hum, and Flynt checked his blaster, making sure that it was fully charged, the tibanna gas reserves full, and the safety off. He looked up at his men, standing at attention.

"Blasters ready."

A chorus of clicks greeted the command. A moment later, there was a slight jolt, which he knew must be the shuttle docking with the outside of the station. He turned to face the hatch, taking up his station behind and just to the right of Lord Vader. It was an honour, he knew, to be standing in this place, one accorded only to the best Imperial stormtroopers, and he meant to acquit himself well.

The price for failure, he knew, would be death.

The Dark Lord tilted his head slightly, as if listening to something. Then he turned to face the hatch. It swung inward, and in the red glare of the shuttle's interior lighting, Flynt saw a smooth, greyish stretch of hull. So, they hadn't been able to dock with an airlock. They'd have to breach the hull. He reached for one of the charges on his belt, but stopped as the red blade of Lord Vader's lightsaber extended with a deep, menacing hum, its ruby-red light accentuating that of the shuttle's hold. The blade plunged nearly to its hilt in the hull, Vader rotating it in a smooth, steady oval as he cut a hole, nearly as large as the hatch, in the side of the Station. The blade retracted, leaving a glowing orange molten outline around the section of hull. Then the Dark Lord extended his hand, and a chunk of metal that must have weighed hundreds of pounds tore loose from the wall and shot into the dark interior of the Station, striking something metallic-sounding with a resounding clang before it fell to the deck with a heavy thud. A gust of wind blew into the shuttle's interior as the pressures equalized, making the Dark Lord's cape billow behind him.

Without a word, Darth Vader lifted himself through the gape he had cut in the Station's hull, the still-glowing edges of the hole somehow not singing the fabric of his cloak. Commander Flynt gathered himself and stepped through after him, gesturing for his squad to follow.

"Come on."

Trooper AR-137, known to his squad mates as Domino, clutched his blaster rifle to his chest as the squad advanced down the dimly-lit halls of the alien station, the dark, bluish wall-plating lit red by the glow of Lord Vader's lightsaber. He'd never been in a boarding action before, but he'd heard plenty of stories- one of his buddies from the Academy had died in a hall like this, shot through the head by a Rebel trooper. And that had been an ordinary hall, in an ordinary ship, in a familiar freaking galaxy. Not like this. The officers had tried to keep quiet what had happened to the fleet, probably didn't want to cause a panic or demoralize the men, but rumours spread quickly on a starship, even on the _Executor_.

 _I could die here_ , he thought. _Shot or cut to pieces or sucked out into space or-or dematerialized-like the bridge crew._

 _Stow that thinking, soldier_ , he told himself, glancing to the head of the column, and the red-tinted shadow of Lord Vader's cloak. _We have Lord Vader. He isn't afraid, and he'll have your hide if he thinks you are._

He strode down the hallways of the alien Station, his footfalls echoing off the metallic deck plates, the only sound beside the rasp of his respirator, the hum of his light saber, and the clanking of the squad of stormtroopers following dutifully behind their lord. He strode through the corridors with single-minded purpose, turning once right, once left, then right again, always moving towards the presence, the great alien mind, that he sensed at the heart of this station. Its presence felt weaker now, somehow... sicker.

 _Its dying_ , he realized, with a flicker of irritation. Had their assault somehow injured it? Or was its condition due to other causes? It did not matter.

 _Death itself will not cheat me of my vengeance._

A door barred their path. Two of the troopers moved forward at an order from their commander, no doubt to place blasting charges, but he held up a hand and they halted a few feet behind him. Reaching out with the Force to grasp the sides of the heavy metal blast door, he called on the Dark Side: on his frustration, his anger at the alien who had abducted them, at being stranded in a strange galaxy, at the Emperor for sending them on this fool's errand that kept him from finding his son, at Obi-wan for hiding Luke from him all these years, at Pad-

With a thunderous roar and a screech of tearing metal, the door ripped loose from its frame. A slight effort, and its various pieces were pushed back through the doorway to crash to the floor on the other side, making the walls and deck around him tremble.

Beneath his mask, he smiled. Then he strode through the door, his saber held at guard in front of him.

He found himself in a familiar, broad chamber. If it was indeed the same one where the Executor's bridge crew had been deposited upon their arrival, then the damage he had done to the walls had already been repaired. No matter. He could disable the holograms as easily once again, if they had not already been disabled by the ion cannons.

They crossed the chamber without incident. He used his lightsaber to cut through the blast doors on the opposite side. Before him stretched another long, empty hall, but at its end, perhaps a hundred paces distant, he could sense the presence that he was seeking. They were close now. He quickened his step.

At the end of the hall was yet another door. Vader ripped it from its frame and dropped it to the floor with a resounding clang. He paused for a moment in the entry, considering. The creature within was weakened, but it still possessed a mind of vast depth and cunning. It reminded him a little of standing in the presence of his Master, although there was a... warmth, a spark to this consciousness that the Emperor utterly lacked. He reached out, probing with his thoughts, but he sensed no great power in the Force.

 _Come on in. Don't be shy. Its not as though I can stop you, now._

He froze as the thoughts echoed _inside_ his head. He drew on the Dark Side, preparing to hurl it at his mental assailant, but he felt no aggression, no attempt to penetrate or control his mind. And still not hint that this creature was using the Force. Just weary pain and wry bemusement, resignation and regret.

He strode into the chamber, his lightsaber casting flickering red-lined shadows on its walls. It looked, he thought with a trace of grim amusement, as though the walls themselves ran with blood. He moved forward, and as he did he became aware of a shape sitting in the centre of the chamber. It was large, roughly man-sized, but ill-formed, a pulsing blob of semi-translucent matter, lit red by the light from his blade. One or two of the troopers muttered to themselves behind him as they fanned out, covering it with their blasters.

"So you have found me", the creature said. Not with its mind now, but in ordinary speech, though it had no mouth with which to speak. "I suppose I miscalculated, eh? I probably... ought to have thrown you into the sun, or to the far side of the galaxy. Now... I will not be able to finish my work."

Despite his anger, Vader was intrigued.

 **"Your work?"**

Obligations", the creature said. "A debt that can never be repaid."

 **"Explain."**

The creature hesitated.

"I don't suppose it matters now", it said finally. "Without my protection, they are lost."

 **"I grow tired of your riddles. Answer me now, and I will grant you a speedy death."**

"I... suppose... I have no choice... do I", it replied. "My kind are... are travelers from another galaxy."

Vader tensed, wanting to rip the answers from this alien's dying mind. Had it brought them here? Did it have the power to return them?"

The creature chuckled.

"No, I did not bring you here. You were brought here by a wormhole, not by my power. Strange. I've never seen one that large, just... appear out of nothing like that. Curious."

 **"Why did you abduct my men?"**

"I needed to find a compatible specimen. Someone to... to carry on the work, when I am gone."

 **"You... for a moment, Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, was speechless. "You were trying to _procreate_?"**

"Please, you must... help them. Protect them, when I am gone."

Vader still had no idea what the creature was talking about, but he found that he no longer cared.

 **"Your work is no concern of mine"** , he hissed. **"And this conversation is at an end. Now, you will feel the full power of the Dark Side."** He reached out with the Force once more, wrapping the creature in invisible power. He felt its sudden fear, sharp and panicked, and he suddenly realized that it had been stalling, drawing out the conversation while it bypassed the damage to the Station's internal systems to... to access the self-destruct mechanism.

With a snarl, he tightened his grip, lifting the pulsating mass higher into the air as he slowly crushed the life from it. He felt a spike of pain, even as its mind began to weaken and die. It shrank, the power of the Dark Side crushing it into a smaller and smaller ball of matter, its colour darkening and its texture hardening. He felt its presence fade and disappear, becoming one with the Force.

A small lump of dry, greyish matter fell to the deck, breaking into smaller pieces as it landed.

 **"Transport that to the _Executor_ 's medical bay for examination", he said, "and return to the shuttles immediately."** He wasn't certain if the creature had successfully activated the self-destruct, and if it had, then there was no time to bring an engineering team over from the _Executor_ to try to shut it off. He didn't sense any immediate danger, now, but they could afford to be cautious.

Without another word, Lord Vader turned and swept from the chamber, the storm troopers hurrying in his wake.


End file.
